E30 Zone

Has anyone done a Vtec conversion in an e30? Just wondering what it would be like. I know they are pretty gutless low down in the revs, but so is an IS But if you went for say a 2.2 vtec, i recon that would be a right laugh... All the joys of ricer valve bouncing, with all the style of an e30

not that im aware off which means if you do it you could be the first although concidering how old these engines are if no ones done it before youve got to wonder why not.if your going to the trouble of fiting jap with their electrics you might as well fit something more worthwhile.

Honda s2000 engine would be good maybe?
Most other hondas are FWD.
How about an NSX V6 in the back?

Loads more power and torque available from other engine choices though to be honest. Agreed the later S2000 engine in a BMW would be interesting. The earlier one forget as it is gutless, driven one, was not overly bowled over. Later ones are meatier though.

I suppose the four pots get overlooked as a certain S14 engine more than cuts the mustard without all the hassle of electrics changes etc (well to THAT degree at least).

The s2000 was the one I was thinking of... I'm no way mechanically minded, so could never even consider it, but I was just wondering why no one had done it. A mate of mine is a bit of a ricer fan (went from a Civic Type-R to a 318is, and still regrets it ), and we were discussing the pros/cons of this conversion...

for the power they put out its not worth the hassle thats all, for the cost you could do a much easyer m50 swap.

bimmaman wrote:The s2000 was the one I was thinking of... I'm no way mechanically minded, so could never even consider it, but I was just wondering why no one had done it. A mate of mine is a bit of a ricer fan (went from a Civic Type-R to a 318is, and still regrets it ), and we were discussing the pros/cons of this conversion...

which type r to which IS , either way its a backward step in performance, handlings different all together.

having said that, the original integra type R is one of the best handling FWD cars around.

It was a 51 plate Type-R, and he now has an e30 318is.

No comparison I know, but he likes e30s... Just wants something quicker, and thought it would be a good idea.

its a question thats obviously going to attract negative comments on here!!

jap electrics are not as bad as what some people make out and they have loads of forums for support too.

be different ! go for the 2.2vtec, and let us know how you get on !!

m

Would be awesome!

There is on in an E36 in Japan...

It is an awesome engine!

Sorry, however I have to say...

...and I have a Jap car too!

An S50/52 conversion is a bitch ('cause of the wiring) a jap conversion would be worse and give you less. There are much better options out there.

m-dtech wrote:its a question thats obviously going to attract negative comments on here!!

jap electrics are not as bad as what some people make out and they have loads of forums for support too.

be different ! go for the 2.2vtec, and let us know how you get on !!

m

I don't know of anyone who has dissed Jap electronics at all. I think the point raised in this thread referred to grafting Jap electronics to mate up to the BMW stuff. I think mating up anything into a car it was never originally destined for is going to be a chore for those not in the know when it comes to electronics and let's face it...........that is a minority in the grand scheme of things.

bimmaman wrote:It was a 51 plate Type-R, and he now has an e30 318is.

No comparison I know, but he likes e30s... Just wants something quicker, and thought it would be a good idea.

tell him to put in a set of cams, map it it and use an JB flywheel then it will be pretty good, well actually very good . £2000 well spent will go a long way on any engine, especially the IS.

kadettc wrote:

m-dtech wrote:its a question thats obviously going to attract negative comments on here!!

jap electrics are not as bad as what some people make out and they have loads of forums for support too.

be different ! go for the 2.2vtec, and let us know how you get on !!

m

I don't know of anyone who has dissed Jap electronics at all. I think the point raised in this thread referred to grafting Jap electronics to mate up to the BMW stuff. I think mating up anything into a car it was never originally destined for is going to be a chore for those not in the know when it comes to electronics and let's face it...........that is a minority in the grand scheme of things.

i would not say they were any more difficult than bmw.

wont a 2.2 be big money? last i saw early s2000s were about £9k.

m-dtech wrote:its a question thats obviously going to attract negative comments on here!!

jap electrics are not as bad as what some people make out and they have loads of forums for support too.

be different ! go for the 2.2vtec, and let us know how you get on !!

m

my comment regarding jap electrics wasnt meaning them being bad ,i only have good experiences with jap cars with regards to reliability but more to do with how complicated they can be. unless you are an autospark obviously.

yes it has been done already over here in n. ireland a mate of mine has a modded s2000 donkey in the ol e30 will try to hoke out some pics

michealewk wrote:yes it has been done already over here in n. ireland a mate of mine has a modded s2000 donkey in the ol e30 will try to hoke out some pics

someone from the zone was pm ing me when i was doing my conversion about a year and a half ago and they were about to start this s2000 into e30 conversion. i cant remember his name now though and i dont know if he did it or finished it. when did your mate do his? i wonder if it was him?

its been done for about 3 or 4 years now he races it most of the time

Who cares about the wiring with those kind of parts prices

some where i have a performance bmw mag with a supercharged 318is running at 236bhp at the wheels , 178lb ft ,it is an e36 but why not e30

Keep it real man think bout what your sayin.Stay loyal to the badge or sell your BMW n get some jap crap instead.My mate has a type R and im not jelous of him as iv drove it n didnt get the same buzz as i got when i first opened a straight 6 to let rip down the motorway.

bmwkieran wrote:Stay loyal to the badge or sell your BMW

quality


FFS its a car ! not your wife. !

what makes an e30 is its handling, standard e30 lumps are slow and outdated. nothing wrong with sticking a modern lump in an antiquated car.

m-dtech wrote:what makes an e30 is its handling, standard e30 lumps are slow and outdated. nothing wrong with sticking a modern lump in an antiquated car.

If you mean a weezy, high revvy, no torque multi-valve engine I'd rather have my M20 thanks!

...my Corolla is just that - it's no where near as much fun as my E30 for fast road use, but will be a hoot on track days when I'm done with her.

BTW, those Westfield boys at Callander really made an impression on you, eh?

garyp_E30_325i wrote:

m-dtech wrote:what makes an e30 is its handling, standard e30 lumps are slow and outdated. nothing wrong with sticking a modern lump in an antiquated car.

If you mean a weezy, high revvy, no torque multi-valve engine I'd rather have my M20 thanks!

...my Corolla is just that - it's no where near as much fun as my E30 for fast road use, but will be a hoot on track days when I'm done with her.

BTW, those Westfield boys at Callander really made an impression on you, eh?

whats a westfield ???
had enough of e30's, could spend thousands on an e30 and still my little £9k westfield would make mincemeat of it.

oh i have ordered the kit

back on topic though, m20 is heavy jap lumps are lighter, so your gaining quite a few bhp per tonne even if it is a high reving screemer.

skyline engine in an e30 would be awsome.

m-dtech wrote:nothing wrong with sticking a modern lump in an antiquated car.

As long as you use a decent engine

DanThe wrote:

m-dtech wrote:nothing wrong with sticking a modern lump in an antiquated car.

As long as you use a decent engine

nowt wrong wi skyline lump

You sick, twisted man mikey

DanThe wrote:You sick, twisted man mikey

would need to be in a standard chrome 320i though proper sleeper.

I'm fed up with people describing these honda engines as "crap". The s2000 engine makes 120bhp per litre. It was introduced in 1999! What was the specific output of an M3 in '99? My Civic type-R (a car I didn't like) used to hit 8000 revs over and over, make 100 bhp / litre and, most impressively - not use a drop of oil between 12000 mile service intervals.

S2000s need to be revved, yes, but they have torque: 162 ft lbf, about on a pa with other 2 litre engines . A current 325i makes 180. What people forget is that although the Honda has the power of a good 3 litre it only has the torque of a 2 litre. Don't start telling me about areas under the graph either: if you're making a lot of power between 5000 and 8000 you can make-up for a lack of low down punch.

Hondas are more reliable than any BMW. They say they've never had a warranty claim on a v-tec.

By all means say you'd rather a grunty, slow reving engine with a relaxed gait and a spread of power that alows you to be in the "wrong" gear then fine - I'd agree. By all means wonder why Honda have a silly "pride" that stops them using big engines and turbos to get more manageable power. Just don't say they're crap.

right pigeons - there's your cat

Who said theyre crap?

yeah, well after I'd written the post I realised I wasn't actually quoting anyone with the "crap" but I'm tired and I couldn't be bothered to edit the post. I thought it was implicit in some posts. It certainly has been in the past!Sorry.

honda vtec lumps are good in the VFR

there are two e30's in the irish drift series that compare this thread perfectly,one has an s2000 and one has s50b32,

no contest at all,thats not a lie.s50 wins all day long for power ,speed ,sound etc
nothing wrong with s2000 engine,but s50 is better,more bhp,mpre torque,nicer power band,

brian325i wrote:there are two e30's in the irish drift series that compare this thread perfectly,one has an s2000 and one has s50b32,

no contest at all,thats not a lie.s50 wins all day long for power ,speed ,sound etc
nothing wrong with s2000 engine,but s50 is better,more bhp,mpre torque,nicer power band,

whats the s50b32's bhp per litre ??